Daily Retreat 06/06/08
2008 Jun 6 Fri: Ordinary Weekday/ Norbert, bp, rf
2 Tm 3: 10-17/ Ps 118(119): 157. 160. 161. 165. 166. 168/ Mk 12: 35-37
From today’s readings: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness.... O Lord, great peace have they who love Your law... David himself calls Him ‘Lord’....”
What Scripture is good for....
2Timothy 3:16-17 is one of the best known comments in Scripture about Scripture: “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
As strong as this statement is in support of Scripture, it is not to be confused with the protestant notion of “Sola Scriptura,” the belief that “Scripture Alone” is sufficient and the Church’s Magisterium and all else is superfluous when it comes to establishing the essential dogmas of Christian belief. Such a belief is ultimately self-contradictory, because it can be found nowhere in Scripture; it does not address the origin of Scripture (since the Bible’s table of contents is not part of inspired Scripture, it was the Church that decided which books were included in the Bible); and even if one were to mistakenly believe that “Sola Scriptura” was somehow established by biblical texts, that still would be a logical fallacy (begging the question).
The rejection of “Sola Scriptura” does not imply, however, that the Catholic Church undervalues Scripture. Paul’s praise of Scripture is in no way compromised in the Catholic position - rather, it is realized! For the inspired Scripture itself gives witness to the apostolic foundation of the Church and the teaching authority, which Paul commends to Timothy:
“You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings....”
2 Tm 3: 10-17/ Ps 118(119): 157. 160. 161. 165. 166. 168/ Mk 12: 35-37
From today’s readings: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness.... O Lord, great peace have they who love Your law... David himself calls Him ‘Lord’....”
What Scripture is good for....
2Timothy 3:16-17 is one of the best known comments in Scripture about Scripture: “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
As strong as this statement is in support of Scripture, it is not to be confused with the protestant notion of “Sola Scriptura,” the belief that “Scripture Alone” is sufficient and the Church’s Magisterium and all else is superfluous when it comes to establishing the essential dogmas of Christian belief. Such a belief is ultimately self-contradictory, because it can be found nowhere in Scripture; it does not address the origin of Scripture (since the Bible’s table of contents is not part of inspired Scripture, it was the Church that decided which books were included in the Bible); and even if one were to mistakenly believe that “Sola Scriptura” was somehow established by biblical texts, that still would be a logical fallacy (begging the question).
The rejection of “Sola Scriptura” does not imply, however, that the Catholic Church undervalues Scripture. Paul’s praise of Scripture is in no way compromised in the Catholic position - rather, it is realized! For the inspired Scripture itself gives witness to the apostolic foundation of the Church and the teaching authority, which Paul commends to Timothy:
“You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings....”
posted by FrPitstick | 6/03/2008
<< Home